25 Destinations Poised to Own the Summer of 2020

Summer is considered the best time of year for a whole host of reasons, but for these 25 locales, the summer of 2020 is set to be their best one yet. From world-famous festivals and special events to grand openings and not-to-be-missed stage productions, you won't find a better lineup to help you fill your calendar.

The changing of the seasons is always revered in Japan, but you'd be hard-pressed to find one that has garnered as much anticipation as the upcoming summer of 2020. The Summer Olympics will take place in Tokyo (July 24 - August 9) with the weeks before or after the games serving as the perfect time for a deep dive into this captivating city-and the rest of the fascinating island nation.

Those who wander the rugged west coast of Ireland have always been richly rewarded, but the region's biggest city will be the place to be this summer.

One of the two cities selected for the European Capital of Culture for 2020, Galway will begin the summer fun in May with a theater festival, early music fest (think everything from medieval music to baroque tunes) and the seafood-centric Connemara Mussel Festival. The rest of the summer is highlighted by the traditional sounds of Irish music at the Galway Sessions, an arts festival, film festival and the seafaring festival Gathering of the Boats.

The Big Apple is awesome in summer but it can get a little overcrowded (and overheated), so make like savvy New Yorkers and spend some time in the relative tranquility of the riverside towns of the Hudson Valley. This summer is sure to be the best one yet as its culinary resurgence looks set to continue, more sections of the 750-mile NYC to Lake Champlain Empire State Trail open and the region welcomes the arrival of Legoland on July 4th.

While the great state of Maine will be celebrating its 200th birthday all year, the happenings of summer will surely be the highlight. The major events of the season will be a Bicentennial Parade in May and a Sailing Ships Festival, which will be complemented by lively small-town get-togethers and big city birthday bashes all summer long.

Once every ten summers, the residents of Oberammergau put on a gripping live Passion Play and the world-famous event returns this year (May 16 - October 4). The original play was performed to thank God for sparing the town from the ravages of the plague and whether you are religious or not, the performance is certain to leave you spellbound.

It's no secret that winter can be a bit harsh in Wisconsin, so it should come as no surprise that Milwaukee makes every moment of summer count. In addition to attending Summerfest, the Wisconsin State Fair, Brewers games and taking down cups & cones of frozen custard, locals head to their wealth of lakeside recreation spots and patio restaurants. Add to this the possibility of a long run by the Bucks in the NBA Playoffs and the fact the city will play host to the Democratic National Convention (July 13 - 16), and you have the makings of a summer for the ages.

Not to be outdone, the GOP has certainly chosen a fantastic summer destination for their 2020 convention too. The Republican National Convention will take place at the end of summer (August 24 - 27) in Charlotte and you can expect attendees to leave praising the Queen City's culture, culinary prowess and range of sensational cocktail bars.

With a wealth of historic attractions in addition to a myriad of quirky sights, London always sits atop our collective European must-see list. This summer, it will also be the center of the soccer universe, with Wembley Stadium hosting seven games (including both semifinals and final) during the 2020 European Soccer Championships. Other A-list events include the Chelsea Flower Show (May 19 - 23), Wimbledon (June 29 - July 12) and Notting Hill Carnival (August 30 - 31).

If you can't make it to Tokyo, don't despair, because there are a few places where you can get your Olympic fix stateside and Eugene is one of them. The home of both the University of Oregon and Nike, this gorgeous Oregon city has long gone by the nickname of "Track Town, USA" and this summer it will play host to Olympic Trials for Track & Field (June 19 - 28).

Another sensational place to get a feel of Olympic-style action this summer will be Omaha, which will be the scene for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Swimming (June 21 - 28). This, in addition to the College World Series (June 13 - 24) and a myriad of special summer events and festivals will help make the summer truly special.

The nation's first U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum is set to open here in late May, putting one more feather in the cap of America's "Olympic City" and ushering in yet another sensational summer in Colorado Springs. Outside of the new museum, nearby Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak are gold medal-quality natural attractions.

The Salzburg Festival is the world's pre-eminent celebration of music, opera, and theater and this summer it will celebrate its 100th anniversary. This year's festivities will last for 44 days (July 18 - Aug 30) during summer and include 222 performances spread over 15 different venues. Summer is also the perfect season to explore the surrounding landscape, including majestic mountain scenes you might just remember from The Sound of Music, which was filmed here.

This year marks the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower's arrival landing in America, and Plymouth will be pulling out all the stops to celebrate. The summer calendar will be full of special happenings like the Wampanoag Ancestors Walk, Maritime Salute and July 4th Parade alongside dozens of exhibits and events for visitors to experience.

As the unofficial capital of the French Riviera, palm-lined Nice is always pleasant in the summer. This year, the city will also play host to the Grand Depart of the Tour de France (June 27th), which will lend a buzz to the beachy city that will be hard to beat anywhere on the coast.

After a year spent formally re-branding from Macedonia to North Macedonia, this Balkan country is gearing up for a big summer in 2020. The capital Skopje will buzz with street festivals and events, the Krushevo Ethno festival will shine a light on traditions and customs while spectacular Lake Ohrid (pictured) will once again reward intrepid travelers who go the extra mile to relax on her shores.

The summer always starts with a bang in Indy, with the 500 Festival and iconic Indy 500 getting everyone revved up in late May. This year, June will mark the kick of the city's bicentennial celebrations, a party which will last an entire year and August will once again see the city play host to the sensational Indiana State Fair.

Rijeka is sharing the crown of European Capital of Culture with Galway and they have rolled out an entire season of fun called Summer in the City (June 15 - Sep 8) to celebrate. The festival will include art displays, concerts, exhibitions, plays, film screenings and much more, giving you one more reason to set sail for Croatia.

The Netherlands is poised for a massive year in 2020 as more and more of us learn that there is so much to see than Amsterdam alone. Hip and modern Rotterdam will kick off the summer by hosting the Eurovision Song Contest-a spectacle of a singing competition, where countries from all over Europe compete for the title on one night. Other highlights of summer include the cheese markets in Alkmaar & Gouda, the lively beach scene on the coast and the fact that it's the perfect time of year to visit the UNESCO World Heritage-listed windmills of Kinderdijk

Parma has been declared Italy's Capital of Culture for 2020 and there will be around 500 events that take place over the course of the year to celebrate-many in summer. The focus will be on exhibitions, guided tours, concerts and food & wine tours and if you are wondering there will be Parma ham and Parmesan cheese to be sampled, the answer is a resounding "si!".

Sure, there's bound to be a buzz in the air as the 2020 Presidential Election hits fever pitch in summer, but that's not the best reason to visit our nation's capital during the season. The summer of 2020 will mark the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment and commemorations of Women's Suffrage will be found all over the city. National exhibits include displays at the National Museum of American History, National Portrait Gallery, the National Archives and the Library of Congress.

Slovenia is the only nation in the world to have the world "love" in its name and you're certain to be smitten with this country after a visit this year. Case in point is the recently opened Juliana Trail, which is a long-distance path that takes hikers through some of the best of the country's amazing Alpine scenery, which will be at its most stunning between the months of May and September.

There aren't many cities that can lay claim to "owning" a month quite like Memphis does with the fifth page of the calendar. Memphis in May promises its best festival yet as it once again features the Beale Street Music Festival, World Championship Barbecue Contest and the Great American River Run. Each year, the festival salutes and international place, and 2020 will see Ghana celebrated by way of performances, speakers, cinema and cuisine.

More and more people are catching on to the allure of this sprawling Asian nation, so the main reason to get to Mongolia this summer is the fact that you might just have a chance at beating the bulk of the crowds. Summer is also a great time to visit as it is the season of the Naadam Festival, a celebration of nomadic culture and sport.

When you reach the time of the year when daylight seemingly never dwindles, that is when you want to be in Sweden. Around Midsummer (June 20), Swedes gather with family and friends to celebrate the summer solstice with traditional food & drink. Join them and find a refuge from the crowds currently overwhelming some other corners of Europe. The city of Gothenburg will sizzle this summer as it shows off its Smart Tourism 2020 award through several sustainable initiatives.

While Budapest still draws the bulk of visitors-and the shiny new hotels-savvy travelers in 2020 will make for the wine regions of Tokaj and Eger (the latter possessing a fetching town of the same name) and the largest lake in Central Europe: Lake Balaton. It's here where you can have a small slice of Hungarian Heaven to yourself. The country's National Blue Trail will also be abuzz this summer, as travelers searching to escape the crowds of the Camino De Santiago look for a lesser-known long-distance odyssey.